


Rani ki Beti

by AllegoriesInMediasRes



Series: Baahubali fics [12]
Category: Baahubali (Movies)
Genre: Compass Rose Meme, Gen, Originally Posted on Tumblr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-07-27 07:47:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16214618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllegoriesInMediasRes/pseuds/AllegoriesInMediasRes
Summary: Devasena & Avantika for the Compass Rose meme.Title means “the queen’s daughter”.





	Rani ki Beti

**Author's Note:**

  * For [avani](https://archiveofourown.org/users/avani/gifts).



**North**

first encounter | (turnabout is) fair play | fool’s gold | forbidden fruit |  **the female of the species is more deadly than the male**

“I wouldn’t have you putting me on a pedestal,” Queen Devasena says to Avantika, once.

“Majesty?” Avantika asks, blinking. 

Queen -- or Queen Mother -- Devasena smiles. “Mahishmati did that to Sivagami. I have found that women have a way of rising to even greater heights than men, and therefore have a longer way to fall.”

“Wise words, Majesty,” Avantika says, “but surely there is no one more worthy than you of standing upon someone.”

The Rajmata only smiles sadly.

**South**

(cold) comfort | confession | cloak and dagger |  crocodile tears |  **charmed life**

Avantika makes a comment once, about what kind of subjects stand by as their Queen is humiliated before them. And Queen Devasena takes her aside and tells her about the men, women, children who came to her cage under cover of darkness, entreating her to come with them but how she refused them all. How they would leave food, clean water, medicine, balm for her wrists, tapestries to add some color to her cell and to keep out the rain, words of comfort and solidarity. How they may well have ensured that she was still alive after twenty-five years of exposure to the elements. And Avantika listens, and nods, and begins to believe that Mahishmati might be worth saving. 

**East**

**stars** | songs and stories | (politics/misery makes for) strange bedfellows | silver lining | sea change

Devasena does not like to look at the stars; they were the only roof she had for twenty-five years, and she does not begrudge them anything, but she is quite glad to be in an actual building with an actual roof over her head. She prefers simplicity to opulence in most cases, but the luxury of a solid, physical roof is one she treasures. 

Avantika makes the mistake of asking her to chart the stars only once; when the Queen turns her head away, her protegee simply nods and heads to the rooftop to char them herself. 

**West**

just in time | joined at the hip | jam tomorrow |  **juvenile** | journey’s end

(set in the happiest AU)

“I know this already,” Avantika says in exasperation as she looks at the bow and arrow in her hands. She had hoped Queen Devasena would have something new to teach, but there has been a spate of younger children who want to learn from the Queen of Mahishmati, so today’s lessons are basic archery.

“Then perhaps you and Prince Mahendra can work together to help me teach the younger ones,” Queen Devasena says coyly, noting the telltale blush on her son’s cheeks.

Avantika is less flustered, simply rubbing her hands together and saying, “Oh, I  _ love _ challenges!”


End file.
